


Yusaku is a Nyan

by tasteslikeciel



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS
Genre: Gen, don't be fooled this is essentially a shitpost, enjoy Ryoken's suffering at the paws of Yusaku-nyan, i'm sorry only i'm really not, slow burn but with cat petting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-22
Updated: 2019-05-02
Packaged: 2019-05-26 19:26:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,880
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15007709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tasteslikeciel/pseuds/tasteslikeciel
Summary: Cafe Nagi has a tiny kitty mascot owned by Kusanagi Shoichi, who is adored by all the cafe's customers despite his standoffish nature. However, when a certain snowy-haired customer starts frequenting the cafe, Yusaku-nyan takes an interest in them and starts following them home...





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> if you were expecting an explanation, well i sure don't have one ahahahaha

"Jin?" 

Kusanagi Shoichi peeks around the corner to find his little brother, Kusanagi Jin, seated at the kitchen table inside the kitchenette of their shared apartment. Jin is quietly munching on a piece of toast held in one hand while he holds a tablet in his other. The tablet screen displays a giant wall of text with a few diagrams here and there of past duel disk designs, showing how the duel disk has evolved over the years. Den City High's curriculum doesn't offer any studies on dueling like many other institutions do and has a more college-level type of set-up, but the study of past technological advances is important for students looking to enter a tech field. Jin himself isn't all that interested, but homework is homework, right?

At the sound of his name, Jin looks up from the chapter he's reading to eye his brother in mild curiosity.

"Hm?"

Shoichi gives him a sheepish smile.

"I know you have homework," he starts, sounding a bit guilty. "but could you grab Yusaku's pillow from the laundry and take it to him? I have a customer coming in a few minutes to pick up a call-in order and it's still not completely wrapped up yet."

Jin takes a moment to swallow the bit of food in his mouth and then nods. "Mm. No problem, niisan."

"Thanks!"

Shoichi gives him a little wave before he dashes towards the stairs, hastily grabbing his apron off a coat rack as he goes. He runs a cafe, Cafe Nagi, that specializes in hot dogs, burgers, and coffee and recently he's taken up accepting orders over the phone. It can get a little hectic at times, but Shoichi is good with talking to people so he likes what he does anyway.

Jin watches his brother run off and then turns back to his tablet. He could use a break anyway and a Yusaku-related break sounds like the perfect excuse to pull himself away from his studies. He taps at his tablet to save his reading progress, then sets it down on the table, and stands from his chair to head towards the laundry.

Cafe Nagi has grown over the years from its small start as little more than a food truck to being an actual building located in a prime part of the town center. The shop doubles as their home and has a modest apartment built over it just big enough for two (with a little extra room to accommodate Yusaku). His brother still uses the food truck on occasion, but typically he stays within the actual shop and runs it with a bit of help from time-to-time from Jin and their pet/sub-manager/feline overlord, Yusaku. 

Jin is a quiet person who mostly keeps to himself. He doesn't have many friends at school outside of his odd relationship with Spectre and Aoi from their school's dueling club, but it's enough of a social circle for him. As he's still in school and somewhat shy to boot, he doesn't actually contribute much to the cafe as far as actual customer service goes, but the little he does has made him quite popular with the elderly. They always find him a delight to speak with and come back again and again just to see him. It can be fun sometimes so he doesn't mind helping his brother when he can. Besides, someone has to protect Yusaku from grabby hands (because children that visited loved to touch his plush fur and Yusaku is a finicky thing).

Yusaku himself is a beautiful Russian Blue feline who has a slim body, a soft, blue coat with tufts of pink, white-tipped paws, and the most vibrant green eyes anyone has ever seen. He's something of a celebrity among the regulars, too, despite being the most antisocial creature known to man. More than once, he's escorted lost children to safety or stayed with them until they were calm enough to think clearly. He has a knack for finding lost things and even though he doesn't like being touched by anyone aside from his two owners, if a child is hurt or crying, he's there to make things better.

Jin finds Yusaku's poofy pink pillow waiting atop the laundry basket when he enters the laundry room. He grabs it, idly wonders if Yusaku is already downstairs, and then heads for the stairs himself at a slow pace.

"Yusaku?" he calls out and glances around the apartment as he walks. Normally Yusaku would come when called or acknowledge that he'd been spoken to, but Jin doesn't see or hear any sign of him. Either he's snoozing somewhere or he's already downstairs. "Yusaku, are you up here? ...hm. Guess not."

He heads down the stairs and enters the cafe portion of their home. The furnishings are simple but cozy and there's a large window to his left filled with a few decorative plants and odd little food-related trinkets meant to attract a potential customer's eye. It's quiet in the cafe and empty for the time being so Jin takes the opportunity to call for Yusaku again since there's no one around he might disturb.

"Yusaku?"

"Mew?"

The quiet little sound drifts from someplace to his left and Jin turns to see Yusaku sitting up from his spot along the windowsill. His back is arched and his front paws are stretched out before him as he stretches, likely having just woken up from a nap.

"Ah, there you are." Jin says, mouth lifting into a tiny smile as he walks over to where Yusaku is seated. "I have your favorite pillow. Niisan washed it for you."

Yusaku finishes up his stretching and sits back. He eyes Jin and then the pillow and gives a pleased flick of his tail. 

"Meeew~"

Jin moves to place the pillow in Yusaku's preferred spot along the windowsill (which is just behind a large statue of the Cafe Nagi logo character) and then reaches out to scratch behind Yusaku's ears. Yusaku's purrs are instant and he nuzzles Jin's hand in an affectionate return gesture.

Jin's smile widens and he gives a soft laugh.

A bell chimes as the glass doors to Cafe Nagi suddenly open and a man not too much older than Jin comes strolling in with a briefcase bag hanging from one shoulder. He's dressed up in a nice outfit consisting of a pink v-neck, an unbuttoned grey suit jacket, and black trousers. His hair is the color of freshly fallen snow and his eyes are a mesmerizing steely blue. He's very attractive and honestly, Jin thinks, he looks like he stepped out of a fashion catalogue.

The man takes a few steps into the cafe and looks around, looking a tad lost before his gaze lands on Jin and he offers him a pleasant smile.

"Good afternoon." the man greets and Jin only nods a little in return. He's never been particularly good with strangers. "I'm here to pick up an order?"

Jin stands from his bent over position and hums. Ah, this must be the call-in order his brother was talking about.

"Niisan is in the back. I'll get him for you." Jin says and as an afterthought asks: "What name is it under?"

"Kogami Ryoken." the man replies and gestures to himself. Jin takes that as an indication that it's his name and not the name of someone he's picking the order up for. "I apologize for being a bit late. My train was running late today."

Jin shakes his head. "It's okay. I think niisan still had a few things left to finish with your order anyway. Wait here just a moment."

Jin moves to head towards the back of the cafe but pauses and turns back to Yusaku, who is silently watching the customer with a curious expression.

"Yusaku, keep Kogami-san company until I come back."

"Mew~"

For some reason Jin can't even begin to understand, at Yusaku's tiny, affirmative mewl, Ryoken freezes. His pleasant smile becomes strained and he turns to stare at Yusaku like he's been cornered by something frightening.

"Oh. You have a cat..." Ryoken mutters. The grip on his bag strap tightens and he gives this nervous little flutter of a laugh. "How...cute..."

Jin blinks and frowns a little. What on Earth is this reaction? 

"Kogami-san, are you alright?" Jin asks, head tilting a little. "You look a bit pale."

"A-ah...I'm fine!" Ryoken insists. He doesn't sound or look fine at all, but Jin can't figure out why. "I'm just...surprised to...see a cat in here of all places, is all."

Somehow, Jin thinks there's more to it than that, but prying into a stranger's personal issues isn't something he cares to do. He gives a little shrug and decides to introduce the two before he goes.

"This is Yusaku. He's our sub-manager." Jin states, no hint of teasing in his voice. Ryoken certainly gives him this skeptical look for saying as much, though. "He's a bit standoffish towards people he doesn't know, but you can try to pet him if you want. He doesn't bite or anything."

"Sure. Of course."

Jin's eyebrows knit. Ryoken isn't even looking at him but is eyeing Yusaku with a strange wariness. Does he not like cats or something? Or perhaps he's afraid of them? Yusaku is harmless, but should he really leave this guy alone with him?

When Ryoken offers no further explanation, Jin blows out a quiet breath and shrugs at the scene. As long as the guy doesn't hurt Yusaku it would probably be fine to leave the two alone. Who knows? Maybe Yusaku might cute his way into Ryoken's good graces.

"Well, I'll be right back with niisan. Feel free to have a seat while you wait."

Ryoken doesn't respond and simply continues his stare-down with Yusaku. Yusaku simply lazily swishes his tail back and forth and stares back.

Okay then.

Jin leaves the two of them alone and hopes for the best. Maybe his brother would have an idea of what's going on because Jin is honestly bewildered.

\--

A cat. The cafe Spectre told him about that has "the best tasting hotdogs in the universe" has a cat. Not a dog as their logo clearly advertises, but a cat.

An incredibly cute, doe-eyed feline with white paws that remind Ryoken of socks.

He swallows thickly and tries his best not to show his fear in front of this tiny, adorable monster, but the longer he remains in this staring contest with this creature, the more he can feel his anxiety welling up. 

' _You're fine. You can do this. It's only for a few minutes. Just relax._ '

Only he can't relax at all because there's a cat seated on the windowsill of the cafe and he's staring at Ryoken like he can see into his very soul. It's unnerving and he wishes he could put more distance between them. He doesn't want to be near this thing least it suddenly attack him, but he can't just leave without his order either.

"Great..."

In truth, Ryoken actually adores cats of all kinds. Fat ones, skinny ones, extra fluffy ones, hairless ones, etc. There's not a single cat breed in existence he doesn't fawn over and wish to touch. However, the only problem is that for as much as Ryoken loves cats, they don't seem to share the sentiment. Every single feline he has ever come across and tried to befriend has bitten him the moment his hand got too close. Even knowing he'll be bitten, he still occasionally tries to pet any cats he comes across so it's not terribly uncommon to see his fingers covered in band-aids. Spectre makes fun of him for it and tells Ryoken to just get a dog and while dogs are nice, it's not quite the same. Ryoken is just cursed to carry this unrequited love, he supposes.

"Mew?"

The cat that he now knows to be named Yusaku lets out a tiny mewl and tilts his head to the side. His large, vibrant green eyes stare up at him curiously.

Ryoken's lips form a hard line as a faint blush creeps up his cheeks. 

It's cute. That head tilt and the little mewl is just so cute he could die. The urge to touch Yusaku and run his fingers through his sleek blue coat is so strong he thinks he might explode into stardust, but he knows the moment he even tries, Yusaku's sharp teeth will sink into his fingers and he'll be left with yet another vicious reminder that cats hate him.

"You stay where you are." Ryoken manages to tell him. He keeps himself firmly planted in place. If he moves even an inch in any direction, he knows he'll head straight for death--aka Yusaku. "I'm not a...cat person so...just stay there, alright?"

Yusaku's head tilts the other way and Ryoken wants to die. He's weak against those cute movements and thinks Yusaku might even be aware of it, too. Cats are smart, crafty creatures. They could sense human emotions and use that knowledge to their advantage. Show any weakness and it's game over.

For a moment, he thinks Yusaku listens because he briefly stops staring at Ryoken like he wants to eat him in favor of stretching out his front paws.

But then Yusaku does something unexpected and leaps up onto a nearby table and then another until he's close enough to where Ryoken could touch him if he wanted.

Ryoken's eye widen a fraction and he forgets himself and turns. Yusaku takes this as an opportunity to reach out a paw towards him and Ryoken gives a little surprised shriek, loses his balance from a failed attempt to dash away, and falls flat on his ass. 

" _Shit_!" Ryoken hisses.

Yusaku peers over the edge of the table and gives him a very unimpressed look.

"Ah, Kogami-san?"

Wincing, Ryoken turns his head to see the boy he had spoken to earlier and another, older man with a nicely wrapped package in his arms just behind him. The two were walking out from somewhere behind the counter and the boy has a concerned look on his face. The older man (Kusanagi, if his memory is correct) gives him a concerned look as well before his gaze flickers up to Yusaku and he laughs a little.

"Yusaku, be nice to our customers." he says and shakes his head a little. He sets Ryoken's order atop the counter and walks around it to reach Ryoken. "I hope he didn't startle you too much. Are you okay there?"

When he reaches Ryoken, he bends down just a bit and offers him his hand. Ryoken can feel his face burning, but accepts the offered hand and allows Kusanagi to pull him up.

"I'm fine. Just lost my balance, is all."

"Right, right. Of course." Kusanagi replies with another short chuckle. He doesn't sound convinced whatsoever, but Ryoken doesn't have another explanation to give him. "You don't have to be scared of Yusaku, though, you know? He's harmless."

Ryoken eyes him with a skeptical look. He wonders if his younger brother said anything to him about earlier. He opens his mouth and almost says something along the lines of "your cat tried to murder me", but stops himself after realizing how ridiculous it sounds. Yusaku did come after him and did reach out for him, but nothing happened beyond that. Still...

"I'm not good with cats, but I'm sure he's..." Ryoken's gaze slips to stare at Yusaku again and various descriptors he could use run through his mind. Cute. Adorable. Sweet. Just the bestest baby in the world. ...okay, that was a broken sentence. "...very well-behaved."

"Mm..." Kusanagi hums and continues to look amused but offers no further opinion on the subject. "Well, Kogami-san, I have your order all wrapped up and ready to go. Will that be cash or card?"

"Cash."

He follows Kusanagi to the counter to finish off their transaction, a bit relieved to put more distance between he and Yusaku. The boy he spoke to gives him this odd look but eventually just shrugs and makes his way over to where Yusaku is.

"What did you do to him, Yusaku?" he hears the boy quietly ask the little feline.

Yusaku mewls and Ryoken shivers. He quickly finishes up with Kusanagi, grabs his things, and does his best not to run out of the store.


	2. Chapter 2

"You're having lunch with me today. It'll be my treat~" 

Spectre's sudden declaration has Ryoken raising an eyebrow at him. It isn't terribly uncommon for them to have meals together, but usually, Spectre would simply ask or insist on making something himself rather than bluntly saying Ryoken didn't have a choice in the matter. And today, right now, Spectre has this mysterious smile on his face like he's keeping something secret. His things are already packed and his bag is hanging from his shoulder and he's waiting with a hand against his hip like he expects Ryoken to not be absolutely suspicious of his behavior at all. Their study session at the library is finished for the day and Ryoken did have plans to stop somewhere for a quick bite, but...

"You're plotting something." he responds with. 

Spectre's cat-like grin widens. 

"Whatever would give you that idea?" he says in a tone far too innocent. "Can't a friend take another friend out to a simple lunch?"

"Yes, but I don't trust you."

Spectre tsks and his grin falls. "Just humor me. There's this nice little spot in town that interests me, but I don't want to go in alone. You'll get free food out of it. There's no downside."

"I don't believe you."

"Ryoken."

Ryoken groans a little but finishes packing up his things and reluctantly stands. There has to be more to this than Spectre simply feeling anxious about visiting a new place. Something just doesn't feel right.

"Fine." he says through a sigh despite himself. "I'll humor you, but if this is a trap..."

He leaves his threat hanging (not that he even knows what he'd do if it really does turn out to be a trap). Spectre scoffs and places a hand against his own chest.

"Me? Setup a trap for _you_?" he sounds so indignant that Ryoken almost feels guilty. Emphasis on almost. "Who do you take me for? I would never, not in a million years, lead you into a trap, my dear friend."

"Then stop acting so suspicious. You're making yourself look guilty."

Spectre waves a hand at him dismissively and then motions for him to follow.

"Just come on and don't be such a sourpuss." His mysterious smile returns. "Who knows? You might even like the place~"   

\--

Bells chime and the doors to Cafe Nagi open. Two kids come bounding in, happily chattering away with each other as they enter. Jin doesn't greet them (because he rarely greets customers at all) and doubts he could even be seen from his place in the cafe's corner, but when one of the kids spots him staring and gives him a little wave--red and green hair bobbing up and down with a wide grin--Jin can't help but return it with a slight smile.

"Ahhhh I'm starving!" the other kid moans. He holds his stomach and makes a pitiful expression. Even his pink and black spikes seem to droop. "I could eat like 12 hotdogs. Maybe more."

The boy with red and green hair laughs. "If you do that you'll get sick! And I don't think you can kattobingu your way out of a stomachache, you know?"

The other boy pouts.

"You sound like Astral..."

The other boy (who Jin is just going to refer to as "Goggles" due to the pair he has strapped to his head) sets his hands atop his friend's shoulders and pushes him towards the counter. Spiky-hair continues to pout but allows himself to be pushed and when they reach the counter, Shoichi is already there to greet them.

"Welcome to Cafe Nagi, kids!" he greets with a practiced smile. "What can I get you?"

"I want twelve hotdogs." Spiky-hair says with a serious expression.

Goggles frowns and sets his hands on his hips. "You can't eat twelve by yourself!"

"Then eat six of them."

" _Yuma_."

Jin takes a sip from the mug of coffee he's nursing and tunes the rest of their conversation out. His attention returns to his tablet and to the news feed he has pulled up. There's an article about a famous duelist that caught his eye and he's currently reading through it. His eyes wander the page and he skims through paragraphs until he finds his place and continues to read.

" _\--still king of the duel world. Lately, however, his pursuits in gaming have shifted and he spends a lot of time collaborating with long-time rival Kaiba Seto on various projects. One such project is the prototype for Kaiba Corporations' latest dueling tech. It's very similar to SOL Corporations Duel Disk system within Link VRAINS and--_ "

Something bumps against his leg and Jin blinks, concentration broken. A moment later a tiny loaf of Yusaku jumps up into his lap and paws at his chest like he's trying to dig a hole.

"Wha?"

"Mewwww~"

Yusaku stops and pulls himself up, one paw set against Jin's chest, and nuzzles at his cheek with a purr. Yusaku's fur is so soft that Jin can't help a soft laugh.

"Yusaku, that tickles! Wait a sec!"

He sets his coffee down before it has a chance to spill and then wraps his arms around Yusaku's little body in a hug. Yusaku seems pleased with this and purrs louder when Jin scratches behind his ears.

"What's gotten into you?" Jin asks, a bit amused. "I was trying to read, you know?"

"Mewww~"

Jin huffs out another soft laugh and Yusaku nuzzles into his hold. Someone sure is in a cuddly mood all of a sudden. Jin doesn't mind it, but he wonders what brought this on...

"Ahhh, your cat is so cute!"

Jin looks up and spots Goggles eyeing Yusaku with wide, sparkling eyes. He has a take-out bag in his hands (as does his friend) and they both appear to be in the process of leaving, but Goggles stopped upon spotting Yusaku and is now coming over to Jin's corner table. He seems excited in his movements but he slows down a little when he gets closer.

"What's their name?" Goggles asks. His smile softens when Yusaku peers up at him. "Ahh, I really love their eyes. They're so bright!"

"His name is Yusaku." Jin answers and loosens his hold on Yusaku a bit. He doesn't think Yusaku will allow the kid to hold him but... "He's kind of not really a people-cat, but you can try to pet him if you want."

Goggles shoves his take-out bag into his friend's hands when he comes over. Yuma only makes a mild protest and tiny pout, but otherwise stays silent and eagerly watches as Goggles takes a step closer and bends down just a bit. Goggles then reaches out a hand towards Yusaku with his palm facing up and waits. It seems like he's letting Yusaku make the first move rather than attempting to steal pets and risk upsetting him. He must have a cat of his own or something or at least knows how to approach them. It's a nice change of pace from the usual.

Yusaku eyes the hand warily but eventually turns to properly sit in Jin's lap. His eyes narrow a bit at the hand and his tail moves to curl around his body. He stares and stares for so long that Goggles' soft smile begins to fall. Just when Jin thinks the kid is going to give up and pull away dejectedly, Yusaku surprises them by leaning forward a bit and licking the boy's fingers.

"Ahhhhh..."

Jin thinks Goggles might have broken. He looks happy with this development but isn't taking it for what it is and using the opportunity to attempt a pet. Luckily, his friend is there to snap him out of it with an elbow to the ribs.

"Jeez, Yuya, just pet him already. Pretty sure you passed his test."

"Ah, right, right!"

Goggles (now known as Yuya) carefully draws closer and runs his fingers down Yusaku's back. Yusaku doesn't shrink away from his touch or try to abandon Jin's lap. He allows the pets and even purrs just a little to show the boy that he likes it.

"Ahhhh, his fur is so soft!" Yuya gushes. He looks like he died and went to Heaven. It's kind of cute. "I have a cat back at home, too. He's a lot bigger than you are, though."

"Mew."

"Ahhhh, your meow is so tiny! You're so cuuute~! What a good boy!"

Yuma chuckles and shoots Yusaku a thumbs up. "I think you broke him. Nice job!"

Yusaku replies with a very self-satisfied sounding mewl at the praise. After a few more pets and more cooing from Yuya, the two finally have to leave. Take-out bags in hand and a spring in their step, both give enthusiastic goodbye waves and even promise to come back for a visit in the future. Then they slip out the front doors and the bells chime to signify their departure. 

"They were cute, hunh?" Shoichi comments from his place at the counter. He has a rag in his hand and is idly wiping it down. "Haven't seen them around before. Must be new."

Jin merely hums and nods his head in agreement. The two boys were a bit loud but they seemed nice enough. He's more surprised that Yusaku actually accepted a stranger's touch, really. He's such a finicky thing, but maybe he saw something in that boy that the rest of them couldn't see and decided being touched by him wasn't such a terrible thing. Yuya's smile and reaction were certainly worth it.

"Finally opening up to people, are you?" Jin asks the bundle in his arms.

Yusaku hops out of his lap and up onto the table. Then he turns and gives Jin this _look_ , like he's offended at the prospect of being social. Yusaku is not a sociable being. All should give him a wide berth except Jin and Shoichi, who should totally give him all the pets. That's probably what he's thinking, Jin muses.

"Just an observation, Yusaku." Jin continues with a snort. He picks his mug of coffee back up and takes a sip. "You did let him pet you, after all."

Yusaku's tail flicks to the side and he turns away from him to look out the window.

Embarrassed now, probably.

Yusaku jumps away to the windowsill, probably to nap. Jin shakes his head and returns to his reading. Once again, he's lost his place and has to scan the page to find his spot again. When he finds the spot, he continues to read. The tech it spoke of sounds interesting. It's essentially a type of VR restricted to a real-world setting, but it seems SOL Tech has a bit of an issue sharing a similar duel concept with another corporation. The duelist the article originally spoke of is apparently working as some kind of mediator between the two heads, but negotiations weren't exactly working out so far.

The bell chimes again and Jin huffs a bit in annoyance. Is he ever going to finish this article? Perhaps he should head upstairs...

"You lied to me."

There's a tsk. "Oh, come now. How else was I going to get you to come with me?"

But then Jin blinks at the voices that filter in and he looks up to see the customer from yesterday being pulled into the cafe by, of all people, Spectre (one of his classmates). It's such a bizarre sight that Jin speaks up.

"Spectre?"

Spectre blinks and turns a surprised look onto Jin.

"Jin?" he questions but then a look of realization floods his features. "Ah, that's right. You know I forgot your brother owns this place."

Jin's gaze flickers from him to Ryoken and somehow, he feels like he shouldn't be surprised that Spectre knows someone this pretty (and weird because Ryoken is _absolutely_ weird).

Jin was under the impression his brother had lost a customer yesterday (namely, the one who looks like he belongs on a catwalk; aka Ryoken). He's never seen anyone react that way towards a cat before and he's certainly never seen it happen with Yusaku. Everyone (and Jin did mean everyone...except maybe Ryoken) absolutely adores Yusaku. It's odd since Yusaku is so adverse to human contact unless he feels comfortable around them, but then again, Yusaku is an exceptionally adorable cat. His aloof personality with strangers probably gets overshadowed by how much of a cute he is. It makes sense.

What doesn't make sense is Ryoken. Jin can't figure him out, but what he did figure is that the guy would probably never return to Cafe Nagi so long as Yusaku ruled over it with an iron paw. The guy seemed frightened of Yusaku for some bizarre reason. It was weird. _Ryoken_ was weird.

And apparently, Jin was wrong about the whole thing because here the guy is, albeit his wrist is being tightly held by Spectre as if to keep him from running away.

Well.

"I'm not hungry." Ryoken insists and tries to unsuccessfully free himself from Spectre's grip. "I suddenly don't feel well so let's leave."

"Don't be such a baby." Spectre's lips then curl into a mischievous smirk. "You have to face your fears sometime~"

Ryoken looks terrified for whatever reason.

"No I don't."

Spectre hums and then turns back to Jin.

"Jin?"

Jin doesn't know what to make of this exchange, but he answers the call with a hum of his own to show he's listening.

"You have a cat, correct?"

Ryoken looks desperate. "Spectre, _please_."

"Mm." Jin nods and inclines his head in Yusaku's direction. "He's over there. Why?"

If possible, Spectre's smirk grows wider. He looks positively frightening (but probably more so to Ryoken).

"May he and my friend here have a proper introduction~?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> rip Kogami Ryoken


	3. Chapter 3

Ryoken is shoved into an empty chair before Jin has a chance to reply. Spectre keeps his hands firmly clasped around Ryoken’s shoulders because he’s in no way dumb and knows Ryoken would take the first opportunity to run. It would not be the first time...

“Why are we doing this?” Ryoken asks, irritated. He tries to push himself up out of defiance but Spectre quickly pushes back and back into the seat he goes. “There’s nothing wrong with someone living their life catless.”

Spectre’s fingers drum against his shoulders in little warning taps. His friend isn’t particularly strong, but he knows a lot of scary information about pressure points and isn’t afraid to use them, even on a friend. Ryoken doesn’t want to try his patience least he ends up tied to a chair or worse. So he sags his shoulders in defeat and grudgingly accepts that this is happening. 

This doesn’t mean he won’t still offer up a verbal fight, given the chance.

“There is when that someone just so happens to _adore_ them.” Spectre argues. He can’t see Spectre’s face but he can practically _feel_ the eye roll through his friend’s long sigh. “I’m tired of watching you pine, so I’m playing matchmaker. This is for your own good.”

Ryoken’s face feels hot. “I do not _pine_.”

Ridiculous! Since when has he ever? He may give the fluffy blue poof that belongs to his teacher, Professor Zaizen, longing stares and he may eye the pretty Persian that lives up the street with daydreams of approaching her, but that in no way means he _pines_! He just-! Just-!

He doesn’t get a chance to come up with an excuse because Spectre interrupts his train of thought with another sigh. His friend lifts one hand from Ryoken’s shoulder and gestures at the air, sounding for all the world like he’s been burdened with something troublesome when he speaks.

“He’s a mess, isn’t he?” 

Ryoken scoffs. “I never asked to be tortured, you sadist.”

Spectre hums and offers Ryoken a hair ruffle. “If you really wanted out, you could easily overpower me. So the fact you’re still here counts you as the masochist, right?”

Ryoken wants to argue that point. Spectre doesn’t need strength to be threatening. That much is evident by the way he hovers nearby. But, the hair ruffle has him distractedly swatting Spectre’s hand away and a tittering from Jin keeps the words from coming out.

“Well...”

Jin, who has been watching this exchange with mild amusement, hums and eyes Ryoken with something almost akin to pity.

“I’ve never seen anyone afraid of Yusaku before.” he muses. He takes a sip from his mug before finally setting it down. Coffee, if the smell is anything to go by. “He’s picky with people, but he’s never been violent.”

“See?” Spectre says, as if that alone is enough proof. “Controlled environment. You have nothing to worry about.”

Spectre gestures towards the little feline. “Just look at him. He’s so small and cute. How can you say no to that?”

Everyone’s attention turns to the dozing kitty in the windowsill. Yusaku is seated on a plush, pink pillow that’s been strategically placed to be out of the sun. He has his front paws tucked underneath him and his tail curled around his body in what Ryoken has affectionately named cat loaf form. 

He’s...he’s really cute all relaxed like that. It’s unfair how cute he is. Ryoken really, really wants to touch him because like this, he really does look harmless. Ryoken can almost picture himself petting the tiny creature and maybe getting purrs in return? God, imagine him purring! That must be—

_No_. 

No, no, no. 

Ryoken is no fool. He’s letting himself get carried away again. He’s stronger than this. He _knows_ better. He cannot give in. He mustn’t! 

He shakes his head a little to snap himself out of the trance he’s in.

"I can and I will." he replies, tone clipped. He crosses his arms and pointedly turns his head away. "I don't need a cat's love to be happy."

He might...he might crave it like a dying man craves water. Like a lot. But cat's don't like him so why torture himself by trying? What Spectre fails to realize is even kittens attack Ryoken. _Kittens_. Yusaku may have never attacked someone before, but he would absolutely attack Ryoken because Ryoken is _cursed_. Cursed people don’t have the luxury of “facing their fears” or other nonsense because...because...

He needs time to think of a reason, but it has to do with death. The fluffy kind with teeth. Probably. Maybe.

"This is the most childish I have ever seen you act and I've known you since we were _actual_ children." Spectre leans over Ryoken’s shoulder and raises his eyebrows. “You can't hide that blush. It's killing you. So go talk to him. Get to know each other.”

Ryoken side-eyes his friend and says nothing. He might be stuck here, but he's not giving in.

“Ryoken, don’t give me that look.”

Ryoken continues to side-eye him and adds a little extra grump into it to boot.

Spectre tsks.

“Honestly...I have to do everything myself...” he mumbles with a shake of his head and then turns to Jin. “Jin, would you mind too terribly much if I picked up your cat?”

Jin eyebrows raise a little at that and he looks mildly concerned. “It’s...really up to Yusaku but...don’t be surprised if he won’t let you.”

Spectre pats Ryoken’s shoulders as a warning not to move and then walks over to the window and approaches the sleepy Yusaku. He kneels down before the feline like a knight before a prince. Yusaku’s ears twitch, likely aware of Spectre’s presence and plotting ways to defend himself from being picked up.

“Yusaku, is it?” Spectre starts.

Yusaku makes some little noise to show he’s heard him and his sleepy, narrowed eyes turn Spectre’s way.

“I’m sure you’ve heard our conversation and know of my intentions, but my hopeless friend here-”

Ryoken bristles. “ _Excuse_ you.”

“-is in desperate need of a play date. He's a mess. He needs an intervention. So, if you don’t mind, I’d like to take you to him or perhaps you could approach him yourself?”

Spectre remains his charming self even when addressing a tiny animal. It’s kind of sweet, but would be a thousand times more endearing if he wasn’t in the middle of torturing Ryoken. 

This is ridiculous. He shouldn’t have to put up with this. 

“Spectre, I-”

He chokes on his words when Yusaku, eyes now fully open, turns to stare up at him with that same curious look he had the first time they met. His tiny head tilts and he makes a little sound.

Ryoken doesn't know what it means because he can't speak cat, but he can't help but feel like he's been marked for death.

"Hmm...you know," Spectre says, sounding thoughtful. "I think he actually likes you."

Jin joins in Spectre's musings with some of his own. "I've never seen him that interested in a stranger before... Is that it? Do you like Kogami-san, Yusaku?"

"Th-that's ridiculous..." Ryoken tries to insist, but it's weak and Yusaku's sudden attention has him spellbound.

Yusaku doesn't answer Jin's query. Instead, he uncurls himself from his cat loaf form and stretches. Then, with a twitch of his tail, he takes aim at the table and leaps. Ryoken, to his credit, manages to not jump, but he pushes himself away from the table on instinct, expression startled. 

Spectre, of course, laughs at him openly. Jin at least has the decency to hide his smile behind his mug of coffee.

"Stop that." Spectre admonishes. He stands and returns to his place behind Ryoken. His hands wrap around the back of the chair and he pushes Ryoken back to the table. "You'll never make friends if you act like a scared bird."

"The bird has instincts to keep it from being eaten..." Ryoken mumbles.

There's a light tap against his shoulder followed by a tsk before Spectre pulls up a nearby chair and joins the other three at the table. He folds his arms across the table and gives Ryoken this warning glance, daring him to try moving again.

Jin sets his mug back onto the table, smile still present but faint. He reaches out to ruffles Yusaku's head a bit and earns a pleased mewl in return. Jin laughs a little.

"You want to try petting him?" he asks carefully, observing Ryoken for reactions. "He really likes ear scratches. You could try that?"

Yusaku turns back to Ryoken and moves a little closer. It takes a firm glare from Spectre, his friend's foot holding the chair in place, and every ounce of Ryoken's willpower not to turn coward and throw himself out the door. Despite that, he can't form a coherent sentence and a blush quickly spreads up his neck and over his face the closer Yusaku gets.

"A-ah...I...uh..."

Then, Yusaku stops and plops in front of him.

"Mew?"

His bright eyes are even greener up close and his coat is even more of a luscious blue and pink than he realized. Ryoken's never seen a cat like this in all his years of quietly studying them from afar. Yusaku's beauty is so otherworldly, ethereal even. He's probably the prettiest cat he's ever seen.

Maybe...maybe just this once he could give in and attempt to touch him? Maybe just a quick tap? Or a boop on the nose?

_Oh god he's never booped a cat before. He might die from the cute oh no._

His fingers twitch from their place in his lap and he bites his lip, hesitating. His hand keeps lifting but never makes it very far. He doesn't know what to do. He doesn't want to be bitten again, but Yusaku is _right there_. _Staring_. And his tail is doing that slow tap thing against the table. It's like he's waiting for Ryoken to do something. He did this last time, though, and seemed to grow tired of waiting. Then he-

Yusaku reaches out a paw.

Spectre's foot catches the chair when Ryoken's first instinct is to shove himself away from the table, but unfortunately, this only makes the chair tip backward and for the second time that week, Ryoken is on the floor of Cafe Nagi. 

Because of Yusaku.

Because Ryoken is, as Spectre put it, a scared bird.

"Kogami-san!" 

"Ryoken, please..."

Their reactions are comically different and if he wasn't staring at the ceiling wondering where his life went wrong, he might have laughed. While Jin looks startled and is standing from his chair to check on him, Spectre is shaking his head and peering down at him in disappointment. A sentiment Yusaku seems to share if the deadpan look in his large eyes is anything to go by.

How embarrassing... They just mirrored their first meeting. This really was a ridiculous idea on Spectre's part.

\--

Jin had a bad feeling about this idea from the get-go. While he did agree with Spectre that Ryoken needed to get over this irrational fear he has (and if any cat could cure him of it, it's Yusaku) Ryoken's pure reluctance spelled trouble. Jin just didn't think it would be the kind that landed the poor guy on the floor again.

"Kogami-san, are you alright?" Jin is at his side in an instant, hands hovering uncertainly. He bites his lip. "You uh...that was quite a reaction."

Laughing would be rude so he does his best not to even smile. Ryoken's cheeks are pink but he waves off Jin's concern with a wave of his hand and pushes himself up and stands. He rights the chair and Jin stands as well.

Ryoken opens his mouth but hesitates a moment before he closes it. He pushes the chair into the table, shakes his head, and makes for the door.

"I'm going home." is all he offers before the bells chime and he's left the cafe without Spectre.

There's a strained bit of silence before Spectre sighs and he too stands.

"Childish..."

Jin hums and turns back to eye the door.

"Is...he going to be okay?" he asks.

That look Ryoken had before he turned away seemed...awfully sad. He barely knows anything about this guy aside from they share a friend, he has an irrational fear of cats, and he's pretty (weird), but he can't help but be a little concerned. No one deserves to look that sad. Especially over not being able to touch a cat.

If he would just give Yusaku a chance...

"He'll mope for a little while." Spectre says. He sets a hand against his hip and eyes the door. For once, his expression is solemn, no trace of any teasing. He's worried. It's easy to tell. "Probably blow off steam in Link VRAINS until he feels better. Or torture himself by watching cat videos. But, he'll come back a little less depressed. Probably."

Jin frowns. "That's not very reassuring."

"Like I said, he's a mess." Spectre turns to him and offers a little smile. "Anyway, sorry about this. I suppose I owe you compensation for the trouble I caused."

"It's no trouble just..." Jin looks thoughtful. "Just take care of him and I'll consider us even."

"It's a deal then."

Spectre heads toward the door and throws back a wave. "See you in class. I'll text you details about Mister Hot and Grumpy later~"

"Pff."

Jin returns his wave as the bells chime and signal Spectre's departure. When he's gone and alone (and idly wondering why his brother didn't walk in during all that nonsense), he lets out a deep sigh.

"Kogami-san is lucky to have friends that care for him that much, hunh?"

Yusaku is silent and Jin turns to him, intending to collect both he and his things before heading upstairs. A bath sounds nice. Yusaku even likes them so maybe they could have one together.

"Hey, Yusaku, want a-"

He blinks and looks around. Yusaku isn't on the table and isn't anywhere nearby. He was just there a second ago. What in the world?

"Yusaku? Where did you go? You want to take a bath with me?" 

Jin presses his palms against the table and leans over it to peer at the windowsill. All he sees is Yusaku's empty pillow and no trace of him on the floor.

He frowns. He can't explain it, but for some reason, he gets this unshakable feeling in the pit of his stomach that Yusaku isn't in the cafe anymore.

"Yusaku?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hrmmm~ I wonder where Yusaku disappeared to?


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for five thousand years i've lain dormant //brick'd
> 
> so hi. y'all ready for this *eyebrow wiggle*

Ryoken returns home with such a gloomy, defeated aura radiating off his body that the little cleaning robot that usually greets him each day pauses and sends him a questioning little trill. She takes a moment to quietly stare after him as he walks past her without so much as a wave in her general direction and then the screen that makes up her face lights up with a shocked Σ(°ロ°).

“Ryoken-sama is upset?” she trills up at him. She waves her little rounded hands around, clearly unhappy by this realization. “Oh no, oh no…”

She says these things a bit too loudly for Ryoken’s liking and he turns to shush her with a finger pressed against his lips.

“ _Sssh_!” he hisses, voice low in the hopes he won’t be overheard. “Not so loud. Don’t let Mother—“

“Already heard!”

Ryoken jumps a little and then blanches when a petite woman with long, snow white hair held back into a loose ponytail steps into the living room with them. She’s wearing a loose, baby blue sweater dress today with oversized, expensive bracelets dangling from her arms and perfume drifts around her, filling the empty space with a fresh floral scent. It’s like she just stepped out of a catalogue with how perfectly put together she looks and considering her job involves just that (i.e. modeling clothing for popular magazines and fashion brands), that’s likely exactly why she’s so dressed up today.

She makes her way towards the two of them, matching heels clicking sharply against the hardwood flooring, as she keeps her arms held behind her back. A knowing smile sits on her painted lips.

Caught. Absolutely caught.

Ryoken adjusts the school bag hanging from his shoulder and looks away.

“...uh…”

“Mama!” the little cleaning robot rolls to her side, hands continuing to flail. Her screen changes to a distressed o(TヘTo) face and Ryoken feels incredibly betrayed by this. There’s no way he’s getting out of this now. “Ryoken-sama is upset!”

“Oh no~” his mother says and pulls one hand out from behind her back to settle it against her cheek. She’s still smiling, but the curve to her lips is more amused. “Does Roboppi-chan know why?”

The little cleaning robot, Roboppi, trills up at them both sadly, her sad kaomoji face changing into a simple question mark. In response, his mother leans down a bit and pets the top of the little robot’s head gently.

“Don’t worry, Roboppi-chan. Mama has a way to cheer him up~”

Roboppi perks up with a quick (°ロ°) ! face and trills up at her in awe.

“I’m fine.” Ryoken tries to insist, but finds he can’t hold eye contact with his mother at all when she looks back up at him. He swallows around a lump in his throat and tries to pretend he’s not nervous. “I...It’s nothing.”

“Hoh~?”

She looks innocent enough, but the curve of her smile and the twinkle in her eyes is filled with laughter. He never has been able to hide anything from her and he regrets, more than ever before, that he let Spectre drag him back into that damned cafe.

“Oh, Ryoken...”

Her breath comes out in a sigh and she lifts up a dainty, perfectly manicured hand to cup his cheek gently.

Only to lightly pinch it.

“ _Ow_.” he whines and rubs at his cheek when she lets it go.

“You know I can always see right through you.” she says and titters, just a little, when he pouts at her. “But never fear, my precious boy, for I have just the thing to cheer you up~”

He blinks down at her, a brow raising curiously. “Oh?”

Ryoken can’t imagine what that could be. His mother may quite possibly possess the ability to read minds, but there’s no way she can know what the cause of his sour mood is. Or, if he’s being completely honest with himself (and he isn’t), that it’s entirely his own fault he’s upset.

His mother straightens up a bit and pulls out a small, plush cat in a soft cream color from behind her back. It’s about the size of a regular teddy bear and has a dark blue, leather collar wrapped around its neck. It’s fluffy and the material its made out of is luxuriously soft.

“Ta-da!”

Her smile grows as she pushes the plush into his arms. He blinks down at it and stares and stares and it stares right back with its big, blue, button eyes. The thought is sweet and some part of him is touched by the gesture, but a single thought runs through his mind and he lacks the filter needed to stop it from coming out his mouth.

“...so this is a pity cat.”

She smacks his arm and pouts, eyes narrowing up at him.

“ _No_ , you cheeky child.” she huffs. “I know how much you adore cats and considering you always… Well, I thought this would be just the thing to brighten up your room.”

 _Considering you always have trouble with them_ , is what she wants to say. Ryoken can hear it loud and clear and it makes him sigh, quietly. This plush is absolutely a pity cat no matter how nicely his mother tries to phrase it. It reminds him of his failures, reminds him how unlovable he is, and he feels worse because of it.

It’s not his mother’s fault. It’s not and he doesn’t blame her, but he can’t find it in himself to fake happiness for her sake.

“...thank you.” he says quietly, looking and sounding anything but. “...I’m tired so I’d like to rest a bit before studying a bit more. Excuse me.”

“Ryoken…”

He doesn’t miss the way his mother frowns as he walks off, cat plush held in one arm. And that makes him feels worse, too.

  
-x-x-

  
Ryoken slips into his bedroom, water droplets still trickling from his damp, snowy hair as he pats a fluffy white towel against his cheek. The shower and follow-up soak in rose-scented bath water did wonders to help relax his taut muscles and easy the stress in his face, but it did absolutely nothing for his overall depressed mood and he sighs forlornly, eyes briefly closing as he shuts the door behind him.

He had a chance to finally pet a cute feline (one that didn’t hiss at him, mind you) and chickened out out of reflex and self-preservation instincts because he’s afraid of being hurt again. Yusaku seems interested in him, always gravitates towards him whenever they meet, and as of yet has not tried to attack him, but Ryoken is scared of attempting to reach out, cross this distance he keeps shoving between them, only to have his heart broken in return. He just doesn’t think he can chance it.

He opens his eyes, spots the plush cat his mother gave him sitting on his bed, and tilts his head up towards the ceiling, a weariness seeping into his facial features as he sighs.

Spectre was right. He _is_ pining and he _hates_ it.

“Damn it…” he mutters to himself and runs a hand through his damp hair. “This is all his fault.”

It really isn’t and he knows that, but he can’t keep the bitterness out of his voice as he sends the accusation towards the ceiling. Complicated feelings like these are a thing he’s not particularly good at dealing with. He’s never had a lover nor been in love with anyone or anything past programming and, well, cats. So his experience is lacking in all areas concerning love and letting himself be loved and honestly, his vague plans concerning love had always been broken down into three things anyway.

1\. If he couldn’t figure out his sexuality by the time he finished college, he wouldn’t bother trying to fill the romance void and just focus on friendships instead.  
  
2\. He’d absolutely get a cat. Maybe two so the first wouldn’t get lonely.  
  
3\. He’d start a vlog channel all about his cats so everyone could see how cute they were.

Simple but effective life goals. He doesn’t need to live a complicated life. He’s already living a rich one thanks mostly to his mother’s success and his own with programming and the little bit of dabbling he’s been doing in modeling himself. A lover might be nice, but he’s always just really wanted a cat. A nice fluffy one. Or maybe a hairless one? A big squishy one? Any cat is a good cat in his opinion, really.

But unfortunately, for some unknown reason, his love remains unrequited. Cats always seem to hate him. It’s like he’s been cursed by some angry god to have everything within his reach (looks, money, success) but the love of a fluff is denied him.

Another sigh spills out of him and his gaze falls back to the floor as he drags himself over to his bed and plops down on it. He pulls the towel sitting around his shoulders off and tosses it behind him, uncaring where it lands for the time being. He’s normally pretty tidy, but today, he just wants to sulk and watch cats videos on Youtube instead. Nevermind getting dressed. He has a pair of black cotton boxers on. It’s enough until he feels less depressed about this whole thing.

“Nya!”

But as he moves to grab his tablet off his bedside table, he stills as a startled, smothered noise reaches his ears. It sounded suspiciously like a--

He turns and narrows his eyes at the plush cat suspiciously. It’s propped up against his pillows, unmoving and not even looking his way.

“...did you just--”

Something white moves in the corner of his vision and he blinks and turns his head to see the towel he tossed bunched up over some kind of lump.

And the lump is _moving_.

He stares at it for a solid minute, hesitating, before finally steeling his nerves to reach out and yank the towel off.

A small, blue loaf shakes itself when he does.

Ryoken’s eyes widen.

The blue loaf, better known as Yusaku (and how the _fuck_ did he get in here??) sits up, blinks his wide green eyes up at Ryoken, and mewls.

Ryoken shrieks and Yusaku’s ears fold back in response. It spooks him when Ryoken bolts up from his bed and he jumps down and then leaps up on one of Ryoken’s dressers to stare down at everything from above, tail a bit frizzed out.

“W..what are you _doing_ in here?” Ryoken demands and clutches the towel to his chest like he’s trying to cover himself. “How did--did you _follow_ me?”

Yusaku just continues to stare unnervingly, still spooked but tail slowly beginning to unfriz itself.

 _‘It really is trying to kill me.’_ Ryoken thinks because he doesn’t know what else to believe. _‘The pity cat was an omen. So this is how I die...’_

It’s fitting, he supposes. Justified and poetic. He’s lived a good life. Fatherless but with a loving, supportive mother. And while he hasn’t lived a long life, clearly, it’s been somewhat fulfilling. Kind of.

_god he doesn't want to be bitten he’s fucked_

Yusaku sits up, gaze turning curious and questioning. His tail curls around his little body and he mewls at Ryoken, head tilting cutely.

And Ryoken deflates, _tired_ , _stricken_ by Yusaku’s cute. It’s an unfair arrow to his weak heart and he just _can’t_.

" _I give up_." he says in a defeated tone. He collapses back onto his bed, mentally and emotionally exhausted. He gives up. Completely surrenders. Guess he’ll just die today because why not? Whatever this cute cat wants, he’s powerless to stop it anyway. He can't fight a feline that can sneak into houses like some kind of assassin ready to murder their prey in their sleep. "You win. Do your worst."

Yusaku's head tilts the other way and he mewls questioningly. It's so sickeningly cute that Ryoken can't help himself and blushes a little. He tosses an arm over his eyes and groans.

He's weak.

He's _so_ weak.

And now he's going to be murdered by a tiny floof with big, adorable eyes because cats are his biggest weakness in this life and he can’t fight back against it.

When nothing happens, the arm is removed and he props himself up on his elbows to eye the furry creature in growing worry.

"What do you want? Just do it already!” he begs. “I can't take anymore of this. You're driving me crazy!"

Yusaku's tail flicks out to the side and then he suddenly takes a leap and lands back on top of the bed. Ryoken flinches a little when Yusaku's gaze falls back on him and he gulps. All his past experiences with cats are telling him to run and hide like the coward he is, but he can't move under Yusaku's piercing stare and so doesn’t. He’s already accepted his inevitable, furry death anyway, hasn’t he?

" _Mewww_..."

Yusaku takes a few steps towards him and when he's close enough that Ryoken can feels the fluff of his fur tickling his side, Yusaku plops back on his hind quarters and reaches out a paw to gently pat at Ryoken's arm.

Ryoken blinks.

There's no claws?

No claws, no teeth, no hissing or spitting or having his soul ripped out of his body to be devoured by whatever god cursed him.

Yusaku is just pawing at him, softly, for some reason.

Is this...some kind of a trap? It has to be...right?

"I don't understand what you want..."

Yusaku makes some little sound and his ears move back. He looks somehow exasperated with him, as if his desire is the most obvious thing in the world and Ryoken is just purposefully being blind to his feline needs.

Yusaku then seems to give up on waiting for him and stands, hops up onto Ryoken's stomach, and then presses a paw against his chest as he stretches up to nuzzle at Ryoken's cheek with a purr. His fur is as luxuriously soft as Ryoken imagined it would be and his rumbling purr is just as nice. But Ryoken is so shocked by this turn of events (by the fact that a cat is actually _not_ attacking him for once) that his brain short circuits and all he can think to do in response is lie there in a mild panic.

Yusaku is...he's _purring_ and _nuzzling_ and _not_ trying to bite him or scratch him and--what's going on? What is this? Is it possible this little feline just...wanted Ryoken to pet him this whole time?

Finding his voice again despite his mounting anxiety, he manages to ask the cat an important question: "So you... _don't_ want to murder me?"

Yusaku pauses with his affectionate little nuzzles to give him the most deadpan stare he's ever seen any creature, human or cat, give. The look is so flat and unimpressed that Ryoken wishes he could take the question back because it’s like he’s being looked down on as something incredibly dumb. However, Yusaku eventually makes some cute little cat noise at him and then reaches up to smack a paw against Ryoken's forehead, almost like he's reprimanding the human for being stupid. Thankfully, there's no claws attached to that relatively gentle pat, but Ryoken's cheeks burn all the same.

"In my defense, cats don't normally like me. What was I supposed to think?"

Yusaku smacks him again for good measure and flicks his tail to the side. Ryoken gets the message and waves a hand at the feline in surrender.

"I get it, I get it..."

Yusaku puts his paw back on Ryoken's chest and tilts his head in a questioning manner.

It's cute. It's _really_ cute. It's **_horribly_ ** cute.

So much so that Ryoken finally can't resist the urge any longer. He feels like he'll spontaneously combust if he doesn't attempt to touch this creature. A part of him worries he might still be bitten or scratched or murdered in cold blood but, but he _has_ to try this. No one else is around and Yusaku seems willing so...

He swallows around a lump in his throat, apprehension popping like a live wire inside his chest and causing his hand to shake. He doesn’t want to be bitten, _he doesn’t want to be bitten_. But he lifts a hand anyway and slowly, hesitantly, settles it against Yusaku's little head and rubs.

Yusaku purrs.

-x-x-

  
Meanwhile, while Ryoken sulks in his rose water bath…

Mama Kogami sighs, a pout on her lips as she takes a step out of the house for a bit of fresh ocean air. Buying a home by the beach had been a good decision on her part. She loves the smell of the sea and Ryoken always did love to swim. He’s too busy to bother now with his studies, however, but even still.

“Whatever am I to do about that boy…” she muses to herself as she takes a stretch. She was sure he’d love the plush considering his bad luck with finding a real cat of his own, but perhaps that’s the whole issue. Maybe it came off as insensitive instead of thoughtful. “Oh, Ryoken, Ryoken… I wish I could find you the perfect cat. A _real_ one.”

She hates seeing her baby so depressed, but what can she do to help? Her marshmallow of a baby boy is absolutely terrified of facing felines altogether despite how much he wants to smother one in love. How in the world can she help him find a cute cat of his own when not a single one wants to give him the time of day?

She sighs, closes her eyes in concentration, and clasps her hands together in prayer.

“He’s a good child. He is! Please just let him have this one thing. I want him to be happy...”

As if in answer, a small mewl drifts up from near her feet and she pops open one turquoise eye to peer down onto the sandy stone walkway and sees a pretty blue feline with tufts of pink seated at her feet.

“Mew?” it says, head tilting up at her sweetly.

Her mouth slips open with a soft gasp and she mutters a silent “thank you” up to the heavens before kneeling down and scooping the little feline up into her arms. It does nothing to protest this and even purrs to show her its pleasure at being picked up.

“Oh, you’re _adorable_!” she gushes and snuggles the little thing. It snuggles her right back and she instantly falls in love. “You’re _soooo_ soft! What a darling baby! Oh I bet my son would just _love_ you!”

“Mew~”

The little feline’s tail curls around her arms and twists within her grasp to better nuzzle her face. It’s here she realizes, with a drop in her stomach, that the cat has a collar around its neck.

“Oh no…” she mutters and gently fingers the collar. It’s pink leather and she almost missed it. “Figures you’d already be taken by someone…”

The cat nuzzles at her again and mewls, as if this hardly matters to it. It just wants pets. And that’s fine by her. She’ll happily give it to the sweet thing.

“Hm...maybe I can still show you to my son anyway...” she muses out loud.

“Ah, Kogami-san?”

Mama Kogami looks up from her snuggling to see one of her son’s friends, the odd one that likes plants who’s only known to her as Spectre, walking up to their abode, eyebrows raised in surprise.

“Is that--?”

She smiles and holds up one of the cat’s paws. “Isn’t he adorable? He was just right out here and he’s so friendly… He has a collar, unfortunately, but...do you think Ryoken would like him?”

Spectre blinks, stares at both her and the feline, and then slowly, his lips creep up into a mischievous smile.

“ _Oh_. Oh yes. _Absolutely_ ~” he says with a nod of his head. There’s something very strange about the twinkle in his eyes. “As a matter of fact, these two have met before and really, _really_ like each other~”

Spectre chuckles and somehow, it sounds evil.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> idk how long this is gonna be now. i really don't because friend is right. this is just straight up slow burn but with cat petting hahaha


End file.
